Jaxson Hayes Has Become Key Piece of Jazz Success by Default

The Utah Jazz have done everything necessary to turn this team from a rebuilding franchise into a competitive one. This is a huge step for Utah entering the 2026-27 season, and the front office made several moves this summer to ensure the team was ready.

One of the more underrated moves this summer ended up being one of the bigger storylines entering the season, as the Jazz brought back Jusuf Nurkic following a solid campaign last year and also signed former Los Angeles Lakers big man Jaxson Hayes to bolster the center depth.

Nurkic suffered a partial plantar plate tear in the second toe of his right foot during Utah’s preseason opener and will now be reevaluated in four weeks, meaning he’ll likely miss at least the first few weeks of the regular season.

Fortunately for the Jazz, Hayes is an experienced player who is still only 26 years old and got plenty of run with the Los Angeles Lakers last season. He was originally expected to be a depth piece behind Nurkic, but now he’s in position to play significantly more minutes before the season has even started.

Hayes is a high-flying, shot-blocking big man who can catch lobs and provide a defensive presence around the rim. That’s not to say he’s a complete replacement for Nurkic, but he’s ultimately one of the more experienced backup big men in the league and certainly has the upside to help fill that gap. He’s also already shown flashes of his defensive impact during the preseason, recording four blocks across Utah’s first two contests against Denver.

Furthermore, the injury creates some other interesting opportunities in the frontcourt. Jaren Jackson Jr. was expected to spend much of his time at power forward this season, but will now likely play more minutes at center. Kyle Filipowski could also see his playing time increase once he’s healthy, while Mo Bamba may have an opportunity to compete for additional minutes as well.

Ultimately, the Jazz would much rather have a healthy Nurkic to start the season, but that’s not the reality. Utah will now have a different-looking frontcourt for at least the first few weeks of the campaign, and Hayes will be a key piece in ensuring the team doesn’t take a step back.

What initially looked like a relatively minor depth signing this summer could now prove to be one of the more important moves Utah made this offseason.